Spending a penny could cost a charity nearly £2,000 after the lease on its toilet facilities has increased by nearly 20 times since last year.
Councillors from Whaley Bridge Town Council were shocked when the annual lease for the toilets in the Mechanics Institute, in Market Street, rocketed from £90 per year to £1,750.
Historically, brewer Frederic Robinson owns the part of the building which contains the toilets, and the council pays an annual sum to use them, the lease for which is up for renewal in June.
The rest of the Mechanics Institute building is run as a registered charity, with the town council as a trustee.
In a meeting of the town council, chairman Anne Winter commented: “I’ve got to say this was a shock.”
“It’s extraordinary,” Cllr Barrie Taylor added.
Speaking after the meeting, town clerk Stephanie Raybould said: “It’s a large increase to pay for a registered charity that’s a non–for–profit organisation.
“We don’t have much spare money.
“The building is run for the benefit of the community.”
She stressed the town council was still in talks with the brewer with regards to the lease and nothing had been determined yet.
The Buxton Advertiser was unable to get a response from Frederic Robinson before going to press.
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